10-Year-Old Plays DragonForce Song on ‘Australia’s Got Talent’

When Dragonforce released Inhuman Rampage in 2006, the British power metal act took the world by storm with the lightning fast "Through the Fire and Flames." The song saw a new breed of shredding enter the fold and it was even nearly impossible to play on Guitar Hero much less an actual guitar. Here we are 10 years later, and Callum McPhie, a 10-year-old finalist on Australia's Got Talent, rips through the song not only laying waste to his guitar, but singing the song as well!

Performing on a stage decked out with actual fire blazing from the front two edges, the special effects were an added bonus. But really there is no need to look anywhere but front and center. McPhie was a finalist on the program, displaying his remarkable skills as both a top-class shredder and frontman. His gritty voice is more akin to James Hetfield than DragonForce's then singer ZP Theart as he makes the song his own.

Originally over seven minutes long, McPhie plays an abbreviated version of "Through the Fire and Flames," embodying all the facets of a good showman by executing an eight fret stretch ... with his hand upside down! The flashy move is usually reserved for barred chords or simpler riffing, but this was the finals and McPhie needed to bust out all the moves to try to take it all home.

Unfortunately, the budding virtuoso did not receive enough votes to stay in the competition, landing outside of the top five on the show in the "decider" round. He earned praise from all the judges, most notably Ozzy Osbourne's daughter, Kelly. Earlier in the competition, McPhie performed "Crazy Train," which Kelly had informed him her father had seen and was impressed (video below).

While he possesses the skill set to be a musician, McPhie has more in mind. As reported by the Canberra Times, he is a fast-tracked high school student with aspirations of being an astrophysicist. Perhaps he'll be one of the scientists to name a new discovery after a metal musician like others before him!